Drainboard



y 2, 1935- J. c. NELSON 2,007,11

DRAINBOARD I Filed Dec. 8, 1932 Ill Ananum Patented July 2, 1935 PATENT ()FFICE DRAINBOARD J abez 0. Nelson, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Easy Washing Machine Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 8, 1932, Serial No. 646,291

7 12 Claims. (01. 210-75) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in drainboards, and relates more particularly to a drain or dripboard adapted to be used with a clothes dryer, or'to a drainboard to be used in connection with that type of washing machine in which an extractor or drying apparatus operates in conjunction with a washing mechanism.

In clothes washing and drying machines of the combined type, a pair of vats, one for containing the washing elements and the other for containing the drying apparatus, are usually mounted upon a common base. To prevent drippage of the cleansing fluid on the floor, it has been customary to utilize some form of drainboard between the washing vat and the extractor vat. Various types of drainboards have been used and various means have been employed not only to catch the drippings as the clothes are transferred from the washing machine to the extractor vat, but also to adapt them to be used between the extractor vat and a clothes-receiving vessel, such as a laundry tray or the like. This has necessitated the use of cumbersome, heavy, expensive apparatus, which will either enable the drainboard to be removed bodily from the extractor vat and fastened in another position, or adapt the drainboard to be movable on the extractor vat from position to position.

An object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive, easily movable and sturdy drainboard which is adapted to accomplish the purposes outlined above.

Another object of my invention is to provide a 5 drainboard which isadapted to be moved into either of its two most frequently used positions with a minimum of inconvenience and loss of time and still is adapted to be moved to any position with relation to the extractor vat.

Another object of my invention is to provide a drainboard which, when in any position ,with relation to the extractor vat, will not interfere with or hinder the placement of articles either in the washing machine or the extractor vat.

5 Other objects and advantages of my novel drainboard, will be more apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in'which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a combined washing and drying machine with my novel drain board operably mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 in the direction indicated by the arrow. r

Figure 3 is a side view of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line -4 of Figure 1 in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Figure 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3, 5 in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Figure 6 is a partial enlarged sectional view of Figure 5.

Although my novel drainboard M is adapted to y be used with a drying extractor mounted sep- 10 arately from the washing machine, it has been shown'in use on a drying extractor H which is mounted in juxtaposition to a washing machine generally indicated by the numeral iii. The drying extractor it, together with the washing 'ma chine, is mounted on a base H and the entire assembly is supported by means of legs l2.

The washing machine I0 may be of any suitable type, and. in general, comprises a washingvat iii in which the clothes to be washed are placed and in which is mounted any suitable type of agitator or clothes washing apparatus which, since it does not constitute any part of my present invention, has not been shown. The drying extractor comprises an extractor vat J l in which may be mount- 25 ed any suitable means for drying clothes. The Washing and drying mechanism may be driven by any suitable means and may be either driven separately or from a common source of motive power, also not shown, but which may, if desired, be mounted upon the base H and partially hidden from view by an apron i8 dependingfrom the base ll.

The drainboard I4, although it may be made of a sheet metal stamping or of any other suitable material, is preferably a die-casting, and consists of 'a relatively thin light body portion IQ of a length sufficient to extend beyond the rim of the washing vat l6 and. prevent cleansing fluid from dripping from the clothes onto the floor or the base It as'the clothes are transferred from the washing vat it to the dryingvat. ll. Preferably, the outer or free end of the drainboard flares outwardly so as completely to overlie the space between the two vats and the end of the flat portion I9 is curved inwardly to conform in some measure with the outline of the washing vat whereby the drainboard offers little or no interference to the placement of clothes in the washing vat.

The inner end of the drainboard is cut out at 2| to provide a semi-circular opening substantially conforming to the outer circumference of the extractor vat I! to provide free access totthe interior thereof. The flat portion l9 of the drainboard merges at the cut-out portion 2| in a semi-circular flange or rib 22 which extends both above and below the flat portion I9. The ends of the semi-circular flange are apertured at 23 to receive pivot pins 24. The pivot pins 24 extend outwardly beyond the flange 22 and are journaled in co-operating apertures 26 formed in a pair of supporting brackets 2'! which extend upwardly above the opening in the extractor vat I1. The supporting brackets 21, although they may be formed separately, are preferably formed integral with a ring member 28 which is of slightly larger diameter than the outer diameter of the extractor vat IT. The pivot supports 2'! and the ring 28 may be placed in any position on the extractor vat, but are preferably placed so that the ring 28 lies just below the upper edge of the extractor v t a d th piv s pp s lie in a lane bove the rim of the extractor.

The two most usual positions of the drainboard desired in the course of operation, are the positions shown in solid and dotted lines in Figure 3, With the drainboard successively in these positions, the clothes may be transferred from the washing machine to the extractor vat and thence from the extractor vat to a clothes-receiving vessel externally of the machine without drippage on the floor. The only manipulation of the drainboard required is the simple operation of swinging the board upwardly about the pivots 24 from the position shown in solid lines to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.

It will be noted that the flange 22 is continued along the marginal edges of the drainboard as at 28 so that the excess water will not overflow, and also it will be noted that the flange 29 extends both above and below the flat portion I9 of the drainboard so that the drainboard will be equally effective either in the solid line position shown in Figure 3, or in the reverse dotted line position, When the drainboard is in either of these positions, the lower portion of the flat surface l8 rests on the outer rim of the extractor vat, while the pivot points are above the rim of the extractor so that the drainboard lies at all times in inclined plane extending downwardly from the pivot points 24. The water will consequently drain back into the washing vat H5 or into the clothes-receiving vessel, not shown.

Although the two positions of the drainboard shown in Figure 2 are the most usual positions in which the board is placed, still it is sometimes desirable to have the drainboard arranged so that it may be placed at any position with respect to the extractor vat. Accordingly, a circular angular member 32 is riveted or otherwise secured to the outer circumference of the extractor, or if desired, as shown in the drawing, the circular member .32 may be in two pieces extending only parteway around the extractor. The angular member 32 has a flange portion 33 extending outwardly irom the circular face of the extractor vat which is adapted to be received in a slot or groove 35 formed on the ring 28. The flt of the portion 33 in the groove 34, although snug, permits of manual rotation of the ring 28 on the angular member 32. In this manner, the pivot brackets, together with the drainboard, may be manually rotated with respect to the extractor vat; thus the drainboard I! may be placed in any position around the circumference of the extractor and may be a ed t the position shown in'dotted lines in Figure 1,

If desired, means may be provided for fixedly pgsitioning t e member 28 on the angular member 32 whereby accidental rotation of the drainboard may be prevented. This may be accomplished by forming an outwardly extending hollow boss 36 on the outer circumference of the ring member 28 in which is mounted a plunger 31 which is continuously pressed into frictional engagement with the outer circumference of the flange 33 by means of a spring 38. A connecting pin 39, secured to the plunger 31, extends through an aperture in the boss 35 and the extended portion is fitted to a handle 4| by means of which the plunger 31 may be withdrawn from contact with the circular flange 33. On the outer circumference of the flange 33, stops 42 are formed by indentur-ing portions of the flange 33 to accommodate the plunger 37. The stops are preferably placed on the flange so that the drainboard may be rotated and locked in position.

It is apparent that I have provided an economically constructed, easily operable, reversible drainboard which may be readily useable at diametrically opposite sides of the extractor vat, but which at the same time, may be rotated so as to extend from the extractor vat in any direction.

It will be understood that my invention is adapted for use in various types of washing machine apparatus and, therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, as various changes may be made both in the form and relation of the parts thereof, without departing from the scope of this invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a vat having an opening therein, a drainboard, means for pivotally mounting said drainboard in a plane above said opening for swinging movement from a position at one side of the opening to a similar position at the opposite side of the opening, and means whereby said drainboard may be manually rotated on said vat.

2. In a device of the class described, a vat having an opening therein, a reversible drainboard pivotally mounted at opposite sides of said opening for swinging movement from a position at one side of the opening to a similar position at the opposite side of the opening, said drainboard having a recess in one edge thereof to permit free entrance to the vat when in either position, and means whereby said drainboard may be manually rotated on said vat.

3. In a device of the class described, a vat having an opening therein, a reversible drainboard pivotally mounted at opposite sides of said opening for swinging movement from a position at one side of the opening to a similar position at the opposite side of the opening, said drainboard having a recess in one edge thereof to permit free entrance to the vat when in either position, and a ring secured to said vat upon which said drainboard may be manually rotated.

4. In a device of the class described, a clothes, drying container, a drainboard having opposite drainboard surfaces, means for mounting said drainboard in a position such that it may be manually swung about a horizontal axis from a position on one side of said container to a diametrically opposite position, with the underdrainboard surface uppermost, said drainboard during said movement swinging through an arc of more than 180 degrees so that in both of said positions, it extends downwardly and outwardly from the circumference of the container, and means whereby said drainboard may be manually rotated about said container.

5. In a device of the class described, a clothesdrying container having an opening at the top thereof, a drainboard having opposite drainboard surfaces, means for pivotally mounting said drainboard in a position such that the pivot points lie above the container on diametrically opposite sides thereof, said drainboard having a semi-circular cut-out portion substantially conforming to the curvature of the container and being manually swingable through an arc of more than 180 degrees to a diametrically opposite position with the under drainboard surfaces uppermost, said drainboard in either of said positions inclining downwardly from the pivot points so that the fluid flows away from the container, and means whereby said drainboard may be manually rotated about said container.

6. In a device of the class described in combination, a vat having an opening therein, and a reversible drainboard pivotally mounted for swinging movement about a horizontal axis parallel to a diameter of the vat from a position at one side of the opening to a similar position at the opposite sides of the opening, said drainboard having a recessed portion conforming in outline to the contour of the opening to permit free entrance to the vat when in either of said positions.

'7. In a device of the class described in combination, a vat having an opening therein, and a reversible drainboard pivotally mounted at oppoite sides of said opening for swinging movement about a horizontal axis parallel to a diameter of the vat from a position at one side of the opening to a similar position at the opposite side of the opening, said drainboard having a recess in one edge thereof to permit free entrance to the vat when in either of said positions.

8. In a device of the class described in combination, a vat having an opening therein, a drainboard pivotally mounted for swinging movement about a horizontal axis from a position on one side of the opening to a similar position on the opposite side of the opening.

9. In a device of the class described, a vat having an opening therein, a drainboard pivoted to the vat above the plane of the opening and having a semi-circular cut-out portion conforming substantially to the opening in the vat, said drainboard resting in an inclined position on the rim of the vat and being pivotally movable about a horizontal axis from a position on one side of the vat to a position on the opposite side thereof.

10. In a device of the class described, a drying vat adapted to contain clothes to be dried, said vat having an opening for the insertion and removal of clothes therefrom, means for preventing drippage of fluid upon the floor as the wet clothes are transferred to and from the drying vat comprising a drainboard pivotally mounted upon an axis parallel to a diameter of the vat, said drainboard having opposed drainboard surfaces and being swingable about said axis from a drainboard position on one side of the vat to a drainboard position on the opposite side of the vat.

11. In a device of the class described, a drying vat adapted to contain clothes to be dried, said vat having an opening for the insertion and removal of clothes therefrom, means for preventing drippage of fluid upon the fioor as the wet clothes are transferred to and from the drying vat comprising a drainboard pivotally mounted upon an axis parallel to a diameter of the vat, said drainboard lying in an inclined position on the rim of the vat and extending at least part way outwardly from the vat and being swingable about said axis to lie in a diametrically opposed inclined position extending at least part way outwardly from the vat.

12. In a combined washing and drying machine, a clothes drying container, a drainboard having opposite drainboard surfaceasaid drainboard being pivoted to said clothes drying container on a substantially horizontal axis in a manner such that in one position of said drainbcard one drainboard surface is uppermost and slopes downwardly and away from the clothes drying container, and when swung about said axis the other drainboard surface is brought uppermost and slopes downwardly and away from the clothes drying container at a point circumferentially'removed from said first position.

JABEZ C. NELSON. 

